Algerian-Born Executive Named Among Most Influential in Germany
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Frankfurt, Germany — Saud Ben Krid, an Algerian-born banker, has been recognized as one of the 50 most influential figures in Germany for 2026. The Franco-Algerian banker has been appointed as the Deputy Chair of the Management Board of DZ Bank, one of Germany's largest financial institutions, effective from July 1, 2026.
Ben Krid's inclusion in the list, compiled by the German publishing group Axel Springer, highlights her significant career in the financial sector, spanning over 25 years. She has been serving as the Deputy Chair of DZ Bank since July 2026, following her international career in the banking sector.
Ben Krid was born on May 21, 1976, in Frankfurt, Germany, to an Algerian immigrant family. She grew up in the Nordend district with her seven siblings in a household distant from the world of finance and business. Her father worked in a printing press, while her mother was a cleaner at a bank. Despite their modest background, her parents ensured that their children remained connected to their Algerian roots, with Arabic being the primary language spoken at home.
Ben Krid's educational journey began at the University of Johann Wolfgang Goethe in Frankfurt, where she studied business administration. She later pursued further education at the French university Paris Dauphine, earning degrees in business administration and management.
Her professional career began in 2001 at Deutsche Bank, where she spent 16 years in capital markets, working in Frankfurt, Dubai, and London. She gained extensive experience in trading, finance, and international financial markets. Ben Krid later moved to Standard Chartered Bank, where she held strategic sales responsibilities for institutional investors globally and oversaw capital markets and treasury operations for the Middle East and North Africa region in Dubai.
In September 2022, she joined the Management Board of DZ Bank, becoming the first woman to oversee capital markets at the institution. This role encompassed institutional clients, trading, retail clients, group treasury, and structured finance.
Ben Krid has been recognized for her influence in the German economy. In 2024, she was named one of the 100 most influential women in the German economy by Manager Magazin.
